


Summoned

by Nicxan



Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, It's Omega Not Alpha, M/M, Not Beta Read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:08:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24731350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicxan/pseuds/Nicxan
Summary: Papa III's world turns upside-down when Sister offers an ultimatum -- the papacy or Omega.Even when she chooses for him, Papa struggles with the consequences.
Relationships: Aether Ghoul | Omega Ghoul/Papa Emeritus III
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	Summoned

**Author's Note:**

> This was initially a request made on Tumblr, buuuuut inspiration struck and I wrote way too much to keep it on there. So here it is! 
> 
> Enjooooy

He was afraid that this would happen. Maybe they hadn’t been subtle enough on the stage, or maybe their rendezvous at the ministry had been too obvious. Either way, it had landed him in Imperator’s office. 

He felt like a guilty child again -- hands clenched behind his back, head bowed, knees trembling, thankfully hidden by the height of her desk ... it was all too familiar, and it wasn’t a welcome feeling at all. 

She stared at him pointedly, resting her chin on her hands. Her icy glare hadn’t gotten better with age; in fact, it had only gotten worse. Papa III swallowed nervously. 

“Papa.” Such a simple word from her, and yet one that sliced like a knife.

“Yes, Sister?” 

“I think you know why you’re here.” 

His instinct to play dumb was too much to ignore. Papa smiled in his usual goofy manner and shrugged innocently. 

Sister wasn’t impressed. He could tell by her scowl. 

“Then I’ll tell you.” She leaned back in her seat, her eyes never leaving his. She didn’t even blink. “We’ve noticed some ... activity with Omega. You realize we don’t mind casual relationships, but you two have gone too far. We’ve seen how you behave -- especially when you should be working and spreading our message.” 

“But --” 

“Silence!” 

Papa winced and promptly fell silent as instructed. 

Sister continued. “The choice is rather simple. Either you keep your title as Papa and let him go, or we fire you if you keep this up.” She quirked an eyebrow. Was that a hint of a smile on her face? “We do have a successor in mind. It wouldn’t be a burden to us.” 

Papa’s heart sank. The distress on his face must have shown. That smile was absolutely there, the little ... no, no. He had to show respect. Lucifer help him with that, but he had to. 

But what she asked made him feel like he was being pulled in two directions.

He didn’t want to give up his title -- not when he was so close to being  _ more _ _._ The Grammy hadn’t been enough, but he was on the cusp of victory, he could taste it. He could sense how close they were to moving the needle, legitimizing themselves in the eyes of the world. He had been  _ born _ for this. He couldn’t fail now.

But giving up Omega? He didn’t want to. That ghoul understood him and helped him like no one else had. He held him at night when he cried, supported him on the stage, helped him with so many songs ... his smile, his warmth, his gentleness ... Lucifer, no, no ... 

The hesitation said more than enough already, but Papa couldn’t help it. He almost whimpered when he finally managed to say, 

“Don’t make me choose.” He sounded so pathetic, so childish -- but it was an impossible ask. She had to know that, so why? Why did she ... “Please,” Papa choked out. 

Silence hung in the air. Papa couldn’t look at Sister anymore; all he could do was stare at the floor in silent horror, clenching his hands tightly behind his back. 

It felt like an eternity before someone spoke again.

“Fine,” Sister finally said. “I won’t make you.”

He dared to feel relief for just a moment. He even smiled, opened his mouth, ready to say thank you -- 

Then, her words cut like a dagger. “We’ll simply remove Omega from the band, and thus, your problem will be fixed. You have one more chance, Papa. Do  _ not _ get distracted again.” 

It should have made him happy. He could swan out of here without taking responsibility for what would happen to Omega, but ... he knew what would happen if he did. 

And he couldn’t do that. Not to Omega. He couldn’t let the ghoul be ‘banished’ -- a fancy word for ‘killed’, truthfully. Everyone knew that, especially the ghouls themselves. 

Papa simply bowed with a flourish and then rushed out of the room, hoping that he gave off an air of relief as he did so. Considering Sister didn’t say anything as he left, he could only assume he succeeded. 

He needed to warn Omega of what was going to happen.  _ Now. _

* * *

“Are you sure this will work?” Papa asked in a hushed, worried tone. 

Omega gently squeezed his shoulder, smiling beneath the mask. Papa knew he was smiling; he could see it in Omega’s deep, beautiful eyes. Omega gently trailed up his hand, cupping Papa’s cheek, uncaring of the way Papa’s makeup would be smudged. 

“It will,” Omega soothed. “I promise.” 

Papa nodded, briefly leaned into Omega’s touch, and then quickly went back to work on drawing out the dismissal circle. His hands shook as he drew and he cursed himself for it. This needed to be perfect. Songs could go through drafts. The crowd laughed along if he bungled up something onstage. Hell, even if he messed up during sex, everyone could usually laugh it off and continue.

This had no room for error. 

“Here.” Omega reached out and gently took Papa’s hand. He assisted in steadying his grip on the marker, and Papa could relax as he drew the necessary sigils and marks. “Much better.”

His voice sounded so ... warm, so homely. Everything Omega did at this point was going to make Papa sob; even just hearing his voice would do it. After all he, had no idea when he was going to hear it again. Lucifer, why couldn’t they have been more careful? 

“One more mark here,” Omega said gently. Papa marked the runes in the necessary spots, then finally drew back his marker. 

The dismissal circle was complete. All he had to do now was read the words. 

Papa looked over to Omega, tears brimming in his eyes. He dropped the marker and embraced him, burying his face into his shoulder. Damn the make-up and damn the outfit -- none of that mattered right now. 

“Shh.” 

“Why are you comforting me? Omega,  _ tesoro, mio amore _ _,_ it should be  _ me _ comforting  _ you _ \--” 

“You already have.” Omega pulled back from the hug. Papa swore he could see Omega crying, but said nothing about it. It was impossible to tell with the mask, anyhow. “You stood up for me in the only way you could. Thank you.” 

“But ...”

Omega shut his eyes for a few moments, then rose to his feet. He stood in the middle of the circle, hands clasped in front of him. 

“I’m ready.” 

Papa couldn’t delay it anymore. He wanted to, but knew it was unavoidable. He forced back a sob, then stood himself. He stepped just outside of the circle, and took one final look at Omega. 

“Omega, the quintessential ghoul, your services are no longer required. I hereby free you from your duties, and send you back to your home in Hell. You may keep your form and the knowledge you have gained from it.” 

The circle glowed a soft red, illuminating Omega in the light. He looked almost ominous as the red tint enveloped his entire body, but Papa knew better. This was the best possible thing to happen for Omega, even if it killed him inside. 

Omega’s form vanished before his very eyes, leaving only two things behind: the mask, which had clattered to the ground, and ... rolled-up paper? It fell also, but he hadn’t seen it on Omega’s person beforehand. 

Papa warily stepped into the circle once the glow faded and picked it up. It looked like old parchment paper, ripped out of a book, maybe? The edges were jagged ...    
  
Curiosity overtook Papa. He unfurled the paper and dropped the ribbon holding it all together.    
  
He gasped when he saw the title on the top. He glanced around, wary, almost as if he was afraid Sister would burst in and take it from him. Papa grabbed the mask, rushed over to his nightstand, and then tossed both of the abandoned objects into the drawer.    
  
That little paper was his ray of sunshine. He couldn’t use it now, but it would come in handy later, when he had the time to do it right.    
  
All he had to do was wait. 

* * *

Terzo had never been more depressed.   
  
Being carried off-stage had been humiliating. Sister had made good of her threat to him and he resented her for it. He had adjusted poorly at the start, lashing out at nearly everyone who dared to even speak to him about the incident. Even his brothers hadn’t been spared from his outbursts at the start.    
  
Everything seemed hopeless, like he was drowning under the weight of his own failure. Terzo kept gasping for metaphorical air, but always came up short. Almost everyone shunned him now and that crushed him. Sister swanning about touting her new Cardinal didn’t help matters either. All he wanted to do was deck the little --    
  
No. No, he had to be respectful. He had no choice in the matter. Terzo might have little dignity left, but he’d save whatever scraps he had left. Insulting the new frontman would do him no good.    
  
He had no idea what to do next, however. Everything felt so listless, dull, pointless. All Terzo could do was go through the motions and try to not snap at anyone and everyone.   
  
But then, a realization had come to him one day. It was one that should have come a long time ago, but had come nonetheless. It happened when he was outside on the balcony, overlooking his brother’s garden -- one of his and Omega’s favorite spots when they could steal moments together. The idea just struck like lightning, lighting up his entire world in an instant.    
  
It was then that Terzo knew exactly what to do.   
  
His room had become trashed -- something he was ashamed of at this time. He had to clear a spot on the floor. Terzo trashed shattered glasses and empty bottles and threw the bags off to the side. Then, he grabbed an old paper and slightly chipped ghoul mask from the nightstand.    
  
It was time to get to work.    
  
“All right, now ... how to bind a ghoul ...”    
  
It wasn’t as complex as Terzo had anticipated, really. He wouldn’t say the circle design wasn’t easy, but it definitely wasn’t as mind-numbing and precise as the dismissal one he had done so long ago. It was so close to summoning one, but he wanted to specifically  _ bind _ the ghoul to this space. While similar, it was different -- and he had to check himself multiple times as he drew this circle.    
  
But he eventually did it. Terzo could look at it, satisfied, and know that it would do what he needed it to. He placed the mask carefully, reverently, within the middle of the circle, then stepped out of it.    
  
Terzo unfurled the paper once again and studied the words carefully.    
  
He couldn’t mess this up.    
  
“I call the quintessence ghoul, Omega, here to this space ...”    
  
Terzo’s voice was proud, confident -- something he hadn’t heard since he had been carried off-stage like a dog. He recited the incantation with gusto, a grin on his face all the while.    
  
This would work. It had to work. If it didn’t ... no, he couldn’t even think about that.    
  
When he finished reading out the written words, there was a moment where absolutely nothing happened. It was during this moment that Terzo’s heart sank into his stomach. Had he failed? No, no, he couldn’t have, he did everything perfectly, he had finally done something perfect after all this time and this was it --    
  
A blinding flash of light overtook the room. Terzo instinctively threw up his arm to shield his eyes from the light, unable to help a yelp as he did so.    
  
The light died down as quickly as it came. Terzo hesitated before lowering his arm. Having hope seemed dangerous, but that was a good sign, what just happened. Wasn’t it?    
  
“Hello, Valentino.”    
  
Omega’s voice was the sweetest song he had ever heard. Terzo didn’t wait -- he rushed over to his beloved ghoul, kicking the mask aside, and hugged him as tightly as he could manage. Omega’s arms wrapped around his frame, holding him just as tight.    
  
In that moment, all was right with the world again. 


End file.
